Sky Guide To Offer Personalised TV Listings (News release)

Sky is giving millions of customers the chance to create their own personalised on-screen TV listings with the launch today of important improvements to its electronic programme guide, Sky Guide. The upgrade programme, the most significant since the launch of Sky digital in 1998, is intended to make it even easier for viewers to navigate the 500 plus channels now available on digital satellite.

Sky Guide provides TV listings information for all of the TV channels available on digital satellite for the full week ahead. Following the enhancements, Sky digital customers will be able to create their own personalised grid of their favourite 50 channels for the first time. When a viewer presses the blue key on the Sky remote from within the “TV Guide” section of Sky Guide they will be able to see full seven-day TV listings for all of their chosen channels at a glance.

The Sky Guide upgrade will be rolled out automatically to more than eight million Sky customers from today and will take up to the end of February to complete. Additional features include:

  • MORE GENRES: The 500 plus channels available on digital satellite will be categorised into 15 programming genres, instead of the existing seven*, making it even easier for viewers to find their way around Sky Guide. For example, radio channels, documentary channels and shopping channels will each have their own dedicated categories for the first time.
  • CHANNEL NUMBERS: Most channel numbers will change on February 28 to reflect the introduction of the new genre categories. All Radio channel numbers will also consist of a four-digit number beginning with ‘0’ to accommodate the increased demand for digital radio services on the satellite platform. So, for example, BBC Radio 1 will be found at 0101 and Virgin Radio at 0107 (full channel line up available upon request).

A marketing campaign will inform customers about the changes and help them to get the best out of the new features.

Brian Sullivan, Sky’s Director of Customer Products and Services, said:

“Sky has a huge choice of programmes that match the individual interests of millions of viewers. With this upgrade, we’re taking personalised choice even further by giving customers the chance to tailor the Sky Guide to suit their own preferences.”

Sky